A life member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Ejiofor Onyia has called for reconciliation within the party, urging members to set aside personal differences and focus on Nigeria’s future.
While speaking with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Chief Onyia stressed that the party’s interests must take precedence to allow younger leaders to thrive and ensure the PDP’s continued relevance.
“There’s nothing like reconciliation in a family. That our party comes back to life. I believe everybody has seen that there’s a need for us to let go of whatever problems we might have individually or collectively, and that Nigeria is above everybody, and the party is supreme.
“So each individual’s issues and ambitions must be put behind for now, and let the party become what it’s supposed to be for the sake of our younger ones who are still aspiring to lead this country and who are aspiring to be part of the leadership of this country. There’s no need to deny them that opportunity for some selfish reason”, he said.
Onyia added that past reconciliation efforts in the PDP failed due to ego, misunderstandings, and mismanagement, stressing that personal ambitions should not hinder the party’s progress.
“The former Senate President’s committee, yes, had the mandate for reconciliation. Unfortunately, we missed that opportunity based on certain, again as I repeat, some issues that were quite unnecessary but because of individual egos and other issues that were not very well explained, we’ve come to this level. There were some few basic issues that were misconstrued, and people took advantage and created unnecessary misunderstanding.”
Speaking on the PDP’s future, Onyia said the party can rise again if members set aside disputes, noting that its nationwide presence remains strong and the recent court ruling offers a chance for reconciliation.
“Of course the party can rise again. PDP has representation at every ward of this country, and it’s still a well-known party”, he assured.
Addressing the PDP’s internal strife, Onyia stated that those behind past conflicts have realised their errors, emphasising that unity and setting aside trivial disputes are crucial for the party’s success.
“As I said earlier, I believe they have come to their senses; there’s no need for this kind of problem. You know, when you hold somebody on the ground, you’re holding yourself on the ground. That point has to be made clear. And therefore, either side as it is today has any opportunity of fielding candidates of PDP if we continue the way we are. So why continue to fight over issues that are very trivial? I believe that this time around we have all understood our mistake”, he stressed.
Appealing to President Tinubu to ensure that party politics function properly, stressing that it reflects poorly on democracy if political parties are not operating effectively under his leadership.
“Yes, I’m appealing to the country, especially to the President to know that it’s not good as a democrat that party politics is not functional under his watch. He’s a democrat I’ve known for long, so it is necessary that things happen properly in the democracy under his watch”, he appealed.
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